Eye for eye, Cong-TMC rift widens

A day after the state Congress threatened to launch a statewide agitation on the issue of renaming Indira Bhavan, the cracks in the Congress-Trinamool alliance widened with Congress MP Deepa Dasmunshi alleging that Trinamool was acting as a B team of the CPI(M).

A day after the state Congress threatened to launch a statewide agitation on the issue of renaming Indira Bhavan, the cracks in the Congress-Trinamool alliance widened with Congress MP Deepa Dasmunshi alleging that Trinamool was acting as a B team of the CPI(M).

HT Image

Dasmunshi was speaking at a sit-in demonstration demanding proper support price for agricultural products and protesting the move to rename Indira Bhavan after Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Over the past few weeks, issues such as FDI in retail, the pension bill and lokpal have created sharp divisions between the two parties.

“If they beat us, we will also beat them. We won’t tolerate such behaviour from our ‘so-called alliance’ any more,” said Mala Roy, South Kolkata district Congress president.

Dasmunshi supported Roy’s war cry, saying, “There was a time when 61 members of Parliament withdrew support from the UPA, but UPA stood firm. 19 MPs (which the Trinamool has) hardly matter for the UPA.”

Deepa Dasmunshi also criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement holding the union government responsible for the rising price of fertilisers.

The CM declined to comment on the state Congress attack. But urban development minister Firhad Hakim termed the ally’s protest meeting unfortunate.

“Congress should realise that without support from Trinamool Congress they would turn into a fossil in the state like CPI(M),” he said.